Chapter 7: Etherious Natsu Dragneel
How many times was he going to be thrown around? It was getting quite annoying, even more so, Natsu didn't understand why those Tartoros freaks… no Zeref just spoke to him.
Was it a memory? Seemed like it.
It was too frustrating to comprehend.
Though it seemed like Natsu had been swimming in the pool of his own thoughts for quite a while, brought upon a sense of clarity to the dragonslayer. He wasn't sure he should call himself that anymore, however. He was connected to Zeref, and at the same time he was a demon? It was hard to believe that someone like Zeref could tell the truth.
He felt the years Igneel taught him the dragonslayer magic start to loosen its grip. He felt that if he called on a Fire Dragon's Roar, it would only come out as a cough of useless air like Gray and those other idiots. He sat in the void of white for so long, what else was he supposed to think about?
Useless crap
It didn't seem like anything was right. This white void, this boring- ongoing place, was anything but a good place to be. It was worse than those shaky train rides, hell it was worse than getting a beating from Erza.
At least she would talk.
How long was he supposed to sit and think? Hopefully not forever. The longer he sat the more he thought about food, and the more he thought about food, the more he thought about eating. The more he thought about eating, he thought about flames. Whenever he thought about flames he would try to make some, and in turn would realize he was too hungry to remember how to do them.
It was an endless cycle.
Lucy usually was the one to complain in these situations, but she wasn't here. In fact, he lost even what happened to her. It was so long ago. He had a few good recollections of what might have happened, but then thought they were dreams. Natsu couldn't seem to put together what happened, even if there was some kind of blast.
Maybe he was dead and this is what death was like. A huge white boring disappointment where you starve. That didn't seem right.
With nothing in any direction all Natsu could do was continue to sit, attempting to aid himself in his battle of boredom. Soon Natsu felt a knot in his stomach that reminded his brain that he was hungry.
It was so loud it echoed the span of the void with it's inhumanly rumble.
"SHUT UP!" Natsu yelled.
His outburst was more to his brain than his stomach, but it could do him a favor and stay silent.
Forcing Natsu to think yet again, the white void grew quiet. He came to terms that Zeref was clearly trying to tell him something, and that he was supposed to choose something. Not that there was anything to physically choose in front of him.
If he had to choose between eating Happy, or eating nothing, he would choose eating Happy. Sorry buddy.
Not that it even mattered, Happy wasn't even here, that's not even the point. He was getting off track.
Though some food would be good.
Slapping himself on the head to return to other thoughts, Natsu begun again.
Since clearly he needs to get out of this white void, he have to use his brains instead of Lucy. He mentally pumped himself up and returned to thinking.
ORRRRR
He could just punch his way out.
"You know I'm a genius, I could've done this hours ago." Natsu chuckled to himself. Idiotically he pulled up his sleeves and preceded to punch the ground.
10 minutes later…
Being not so fired up while being fired up doesn't really work out in the end as it turns out. Also punching the white void's floor with no fire also seems to have the effect of a brick wall on ones fist.
Swearing to himself verbally and mentally for resorting to his usually antics, he sat back on to the ground again. He was even hungrier and a lot more worn out, but oddly not tired.
"Etherious. Natsu. Dragneel." He murmured out loud. It was clear to him as anything else at this point. It was just a name, but with no meaning.
He wondered about the Tower of Heaven for a little while. It seemed like forever ago. He remembered eating some of the tower then. It was made of Ethernano, he could only assume it was the same thing. He wasn't some giant crystal though.
Not that he noticed anyway. He's sure that someone would've told him, if he was.
Natsu stopped for a moment to scold himself for his own stupidity, he was trying to be serious.
Now that he thought of it, it was also linked to Zeref. Everything he did seemed to be linked to Zeref. Starting to count on his hands Natsu listed everything he did: "That death lute thingy, Deliora, The Tower of Heaven, Those stupid Grimore guys… and Zeref himself, Sun Village, Tartoros…
All of the members of Tartoros….
"I guess that includes me." He remembered.
In the process of examining the members of Tartoros in his extended, never-ending timespan he remembered Mard Geer's Etherious form. Maybe he just would be stronger if he was in that form. He didn't know how strong, but he imagined a great big dragon, as if that was possible.
It hurt his head to think so much. If the white void would just go away it wouldn't be so difficult. What was he supposed to choose? He recalled Zeref telling him to choose something. It was the third or fourth time it came to his head and it wouldn't go away.
Was he supposed to be part of Tartoros? Was that it?
He found himself sighing in frustration, again.
He could swear he was going to go insane if he had to talk to himself anymore.
That familiar silence that was in the forest what seemed like forever ago returned and the deep darkness called from within it. It wasn't from Zeref, however. Instead a dark aura filled with heat took the span of the Magnolia forest. A heat that hadn't been there in years.
In the distance Zeref could feel the presence of E.N.D and welcomed it warmly, knowing it was the time ripe for death. It wasn't his place to say if the book should be opened. If Natsu did so, it would be his own doing and his own consequences that would change the future of the world. The wind blew violently today, would it continue?
Having gotten nowhere in his pursuit to think his way out of the situation, Natsu suffered in silence with the occasional grumble or two from his gnawing hunger.
He couldn't really tell if this meant to be a test, though it seemed like the reason he was here was to remember something.
Still nothing.
"Natsu? "a voice whispered. The whisper echoed through his ears louder than a drum. He soon realized that it wasn't an echo, it was a crowd of people.
They all talked in one mass, it was hard to pick out anything. Unless this was him going insane as he predicted, it was stressful.
"Natsu, you're making Lucy worry wake up." said a low tone voice.
"Hey Natsu, Happy ate all your food at home. "spoke a gentle voice.
The voices seemed to play along over and over in the white void. Natsu recognized every one of them.
"Natsu, Please wake up. "a voice called again.
These voices repeated on end for hours.
Over and over.
"Natsu."
"Natsu."
"Hey man wake up soon okay?"
Soon the silence was a given relief. He didn't know how to "Wake up." He had trouble enough trying to figure out what was going on. It felt like the voices were yelling at him. He could tell that some of the voices were members of the guild but then others were the voice of Zeref calling out to him.
The white void was ringing with voices endlessly and as Natsu sat there they became more condensed and unable to pick out. It was like getting hit with that train like sensation all over again. Natsu was up for change, but it could have been a little different.
It rung until the white void seemed to intensify in brightness and Natsu closed his eyes one last time before he gave way to the ringing voices, screaming voices.
He felt overwhelming heat again, the smell of fire. Natsu grasped his ears and bent toward his knees. The screams dulled from screaming his name to silence. Once his breathing leveled to a comfortable sound he dared to open his eyes and remove his hands.
What stood in front of him was home.
What stood in front of him was Gray.
Half naked.
"What the hell man! Don't set the place on fire!"he yelled.
Preview for chapter 8
His eyes burned. His memories flustered. Is Fairy Tail his home anymore?